Saskatchewani /səˈskætʃɪwɑːn/ is a prairie province in Canada, which has an area of 588,276.09 square kilometres (227,100 sq mi) and a population of 1,034,974 (according to 2009 estimates), mostly living in the southern half of the province. Of these, 233,923 live in the province's largest city, Saskatoon, while 194,971 live in the provincial capital, Regina. Other major cities, in order of size, are Prince Albert, Moose Jaw, Yorkton, Swift Current and North Battleford. The province's name comes from the Saskatchewan River, whose name comes from its Cree designation: kisiskāciwani-sīpiy, meaning "swift flowing river".[4]

Geography

From a great scale, Saskatchewan appears to be somewhat a quadrilateral. However, because of its size, the 49th parallel boundary and the 60th northern border appear curved. Additionally, the eastern boundary of the province is partially crooked rather than following a line of longitude, as correction lines were devised by surveyors prior to the homestead program (1880–1928). Saskatchewan is bounded on the west by Alberta, on the north by the Northwest Territories, on the east by Manitoba, and on the south by the American states of Montana and North Dakota. Saskatchewan has the distinction of being the only Canadian province for which no borders correspond to physical geographic features (i.e. they are parallels and meridians). Saskatchewan is also one of only two provinces that are land-locked, the other being Alberta.

The overwhelming majority of Saskatchewan's population is located in the southern third of the province, south of the 53rd parallel.

Climate

Saskatchewan lies far from any significant body of water. This fact, combined with its northerly latitude, gives it a warm summer version of humid continental climate (Köppen type Dfb) in the central and most of the eastern part, drying off to a semi-arid steppe climate (Köppen type BSk) in the southern and southwestern part of the province. The northern parts of Saskatchewan — from about La Ronge northward — have a subarctic climate (Köppen Dfc). Summers can be very hot, with temperatures sometimes above 32 °C (90 °F) during the day, and humidity decreasing from northeast to southwest. Warm southern winds blow from the United States during much of July and August, while winters can be bitterly cold,[6] with high temperatures not breaking −17 °C (1.4 °F) for weeks at a time, warm chinook winds often blow from the west, bringing periods of mild weather. Annual precipitation averages 30 to 45 centimetres (12 to 18 inches) across the province, with the bulk of rain falling in June, July, and August.[7]

The hottest temperature ever recorded in Canada happened in Saskatchewan. The temperature rose to an incredible 45 degrees Celsius in Midale and Yellow Grass. The coldest ever recorded was -56.7 degrees Celsius in Prince Albert, which is north of Saskatoon.

In 1870, Canada acquired the Hudson's Bay Company's territories and formed the North-West Territories to administer the vast territory between British Columbia and Manitoba. The Crown also entered into a series of numbered treaties with the indigenous peoples of the area, which serve as the basis of the relationship between First Nations, as they are called today, and the Crown.

In 1885, post-Confederation Canada's first "naval battle" was fought in Saskatchewan, when a steamship engaged the Métis at Batoche in the North-West Rebellion.[10]

A seminal event in the history of what was to become Western Canada was the 1874 "March West" of the federal government's new North-West Mounted Police. Despite poor equipment and lack of provisions, the men on the march persevered and established a federal presence in the new territory. Historians have argued that had this expedition been unsuccessful, the expansionist United States would have been sorely tempted to expand into the political vacuum.[citation needed] And even had it not, then the construction of the Canadian Pacific Railway would have been delayed or taken a different, more northerly route, stunting the early growth of towns like Brandon, Regina, Medicine Hat and Calgary — had these existed at all. Failure to construct the railway could also have forced British Columbia to join the United States.

Settlement of the province started to take off as the Canadian Pacific Railway was built in the early 1880s, and the Canadian government divided up the land by the Dominion Land Survey and gave free land to any willing settlers.

The North-West Mounted Police set up several posts and forts across Saskatchewan including Fort Walsh in the Cypress Hills, and Wood Mountain Post in south-central Saskatchewan near the United States border.

Many Métis people, who had not been signatories to a treaty, had moved to the Southbranch Settlement and Prince Albert district north of present-day Saskatoon following the Red River Resistance in Manitoba in 1870. In the early 1880s, the Canadian government refused to hear the Métis' grievances, which stemmed from land-use issues. Finally, in 1885, the Métis, led by Louis Riel, staged the North-West Rebellion and declared a provisional government. They were defeated by a Canadian militia brought to the Canadian prairies by the new Canadian Pacific Railway. Riel – who surrendered and was convicted of treason in a packed Regina courtroom – was hanged on November 16, 1885.

As more settlers came to the prairies on the railway, the population grew, and Saskatchewan became a province on September 1, 1905; inauguration day was held September 4.

The Homestead Act permitted settlers to acquire one quarter of a square mile of land to homestead and offered an additional quarter upon establishing a homestead. Immigration peaked in 1910, and in spite of the initial difficulties of frontier life, distance from towns, sod homes, and backbreaking labour, a prosperous agrarian society was established.

In 1913, the Saskatchewan Stock Growers Association was established as Saskatchewan's first ranchers' organization. Three objectives were laid out at the founding convention in 1913 have served as a guide: to watch over legislation; to forward the interests of the Stock Growers in every honourable and legitimate way; and to suggest to parliament legislation to meet changing conditions and requirements. Its farming equivalent, the Saskatchewan Grain Growers Association, was the dominant political force in the province until the 1920s and had close ties with the governing Liberal party.

In the late 1920s, the Ku Klux Klan imported from the United States and Ontario and gained brief popularity in WASP nativist circles in Saskatchewan and Alberta. The Klan, briefly allied with the provincial Conservative party because of their mutual dislike for Premier James G. "Jimmy" Gardiner and his Liberals (who ferociously fought the Klan), enjoyed about two years of prominence, then disappeared, victims of widespread political and media opposition plus scandals involving their own funds.

In 1970, the first annual Canadian Western Agribition was held in Regina. This farm-industry trade show, with its heavy emphasis on livestock, is rated as one of the five top livestock shows in North America, along with those in Houston, Denver, Louisville and Toronto.

Economy

Saskatchewan's economy is associated with agriculture; however, increasing diversification has meant that now agriculture, forestry, fishing, and hunting together make up only 6.8% of the province's GDP. Saskatchewan grows 45% of Canada's grain.[citation needed]Wheat is the most familiar crop and the one most often associated with the province (there are sheafs of wheat depicted on the coat of arms of Saskatchewan), but other grains like canola, flax, rye, oats, peas, lentils, canary seed, and barley are also produced. Beef cattle production in the province is only exceeded by Alberta. Mining is also a major industry in the province, with Saskatchewan being the world's largest exporter of potash and uranium.[15] In the northern part of the province, forestry is also a significant industry.

Oil and natural gas production is also a very important part of Saskatchewan's economy, although the oil industry is larger. Only Alberta exceeds the province in overall oil production.[16] Heavy crude is extracted in the Lloydminster-Kerrobert-Kindersley areas. Light crude is found in the Kindersley-Swift Current areas as well as the Weyburn-Estevan fields. Natural gas is found almost entirely in the western part of Saskatchewan, from the Primrose Lake area through Lloydminster, Unity, Kindersley, Leader, and around Maple Creek areas.[17]

Saskatchewan's GDP in 2006 was approximately C$45.922 billion,[18] with economic sectors breaking down in the following way:

Major Saskatchewan-based Crown corporations are Saskatchewan Government Insurance (SGI), SaskTel, SaskEnergy (the province's main supplier of natural gas), and SaskPower. Bombardier runs the NATO Flying Training Centre at 15 Wing, near Moose Jaw. Bombardier was awarded a long-term contract in the late 1990s for $2.8 billion from the federal government for the purchase of military aircraft and the running of the training facility. SaskPower since 1929 has been the principal supplier of electricity in Saskatchewan, serving more than 451,000 customers and managing $4.5 billion in assets. SaskPower is a major employer in the province with almost 2,500 permanent full-time staff located in 71 communities.

Provincial finances

Fiscal Year

Population2

Public Debt3

Budget Surplus

GFSF Balance

Pers. Inc. Tax Revenue

Corp. Inc. Tax

Sales tax Revenue

Resource Revenue

Health Expense

20101

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

2009

1,027,092

4,145,286

2,388,863

1,215,000

1,844,226

591,930

1,108,628

4,154,109

3,976,241

2008

1,012,044

6,824,323

1,282,869

1,528,934

1,938,258

673,641

673,641

2,325,116

3,504,333

2007

992,238

7,244,938

397,394

887,500

1,668,538

554,001

1,079,794

1,694,252

3,202,965

2006

985,386

7,197,223

539,466

887,500

1,447,905

393,629

1,112,350

1,721,100

2,990,625

2005

991,884

7,545,574

765,117

748,500

1,329,081

257,679

985,079

1,474,191

2,773,961

2004

N/A

8,031,637

-210,017

366,000

1,245,763

310,573

854,480

1,140,962

2,515,823

2003

N/A

7,821,426

82,860

577,000

1,429,757

178,267

813,932

1,243,649

2,342,835

2002

N/A

7,561,899

-278,902

495,000

1,196,410

145,338

770,984

903,044

2,199,723

The Tabulated Data covers the previous fiscal year (e.g. 2008 covers April 1, 2007 - March 31, 2008). All data is in $1,000s.

1 These values reflect estimates made after the mid-year fiscal update (April 1 - September 30).

2 These values reflect the estimated population at the end of the previous fiscal year.

3 These values reflect the debt of the General Revenue Fund alone. It does not reflect the debt of Government Service Organizations (Health Authorities, Crop Insurance Corporation, etc.) or Government Service Enterprises (Crown Corporations).

Recent federal elections have been dominated by the Conservative Party since the party currently represents 13 of 14 federal ridings in Saskatchewan, while the Liberal Party of Canada represents one federal riding.

While both Saskatoon and Regina (Saskatchewan's largest cities) are roughly twice the population of an urban riding in Canada, both are split into multiple ridings that blend them with rural communities.

This list does not include Lloydminster, which has a total population of 24,028 but straddles the Alberta-Saskatchewan border. As of 2006, only 8,118 people lived on the Saskatchewan side, which would make it Saskatchewan's 11th largest municipality. All of the listed communities are considered cities by the province, with the exception of Corman Park, which is a rural municipality. Municipalities in the province with a population of 5,000 or more can receive official city status.

Education

The first education on the prairies was learned within the family group of the first nation or early fur trading family settlers. There were only a few missionary or trading post schools established in Rupert's Land – later known as the North West Territories.

The first 76 Northwest Territories school districts and the first Board of Education meeting formed in 1886. The pioneering boom formed ethnic bloc settlements. Communities were seeking education for their children similar to the schools of their home land. Log cabins, and dwellings were constructed for the assembly of the community, school, church, dances and meetings.

The roaring twenties and established farmers who had successfully proved up on their homesteads helped provide funding to standardize education.[citation needed] Text books, normal schools for formally educated teachers, school curricula, state of the art school housearchitectural plans, provided continuity throughout the province. English as the school language helped to provide economic stability because one community could communicate with another and goods could be traded and sold in a common language. The number of one-room school house districts across Saskatchewan totalled approximately 5,000 at the height of the one-room school house educational system in the late 1940s.[citation needed]

Following World War II, the transition from many one room school houses to fewer and larger consolidated modern technological town and city schools occurred as a means of ensuring technical education. School buses, highways, and family vehicles create ease and accessibility of a population shift to larger towns and cities. Combines and tractors mean that the farmer could successfully manage more than a quarter section of land, so there was a shift from family farms and subsistence crops to cash crops grown on many sections of land.

School vouchers have been newly proposed as a means of allowing competition between rural schools and making the operation of co-operative schools practicable in rural areas.

Provincial symbols

Flag

The flag of Saskatchewan was officially adopted on 22 September 1969. The flag features the provincial shield in the upper quarter nearest the staff, with the floral emblem, the Prairie Lily, in the fly. The upper green (in forest green) half of the flag represents the northern Saskatchewan forest lands, while the golden lower half of the flag symbolizes the southern wheat fields and prairies. A province-wide competition was held to design the flag, and drew over 4,000 entries. The winning design was by Anthony Drake, then living in Hodgeville.[21]

Fish

In 2005, Saskatchewan Environment held a province-wide vote to recognize Saskatchewan's centennial year, receiving more than 10,000 on-line and mail-in votes from the public.

Provincial flower

Healthcare

Saskatchewan's medical health system is widely and inaccurately characterised as "socialized medicine": medical practitioners in Saskatchewan, as in other Canadian provinces, are not civil servants but remit their accounts to the publicly funded Saskatchewan Medical Care Insurance Plan rather than to patients.[23] Unlike in Medicare in Australia and private medicine in the UK, Saskatchewan sets a statutory tariff for medical services which may not be exceeded.

The Arrogant Worms' song "The Last Saskatchewan Pirate" about a disgruntled farmer who takes up piracy on the namesake river mentions various parts of the province such as Saskatoon, Regina and Moose Jaw. Popular Québécois band Les Trois Accords recorded a song in French called "Saskatchewan" on its first album, Gros Mammouth Album. It was the third single of that album and met moderate success in French Canada.

The Saskatchewan Roughriders are the province's only major professional sports franchise, and are extremely popular across Saskatchewan. The team's fans are also found to congregate on game days throughout Canada, and collectively they are known as "Rider Nation".

Notes

^Saskatchewanian is the prevalent demonym, and is used by the Government of Saskatchewan. According to the Oxford Guide to Canadian English Usage (ISBN 0-19-541619-8; p. 335), Saskatchewaner is also in use.

From Wikiquote

Saskatchewan is a prairie province in Canada,
which has an area of 588,276.09 square kilometres
(227,134.67 sq mi) and a population of 1,003,299
(according to 2007 estimates), mostly living in the southern half
of the province. Of these, 202,340 live in the province's largest
city, Saskatoon, while 179,246 live in the
provincial capital, Regina. Other
major cities, in order of size, are Prince Albert, Moose Jaw, Yorkton, Swift Current, and North Battleford. The
province's name comes from the Saskatchewan River, whose name
comes from its Cree designation:
kisiskāciwani-sīpiy, meaning "swift flowing river."

Brent: What do you mean, like topographically?
Hey Hank, this guy says Saskatchewan is flat.

Hank: How do you mean?

Brent: Topographically, I guess. He says
there's nothin' to see.

Hank: There's lots to see. There's nothin' to
block your view.

Brent: There's lots to see. Nothin' to block
your view. Like the mountains back there. They're uh... Well, what
the hell? I could've sworn there was a big mountain range back
there. Juttin' up into the sky all purple and majestic. I must be
thinkin' of a postcard I saw or somethin'. Hey, it is kinda flat,
thanks for pointin' that out.

Edward VIII of the United
Kingdom

Qu'Appelle Valley, Saskatchewan, Canadian Indians: "I've told
you what a foul decadent lazy crowd they are & what I think of
them !! But this camp is pitched right inside an Indian
reserve . . . & we have hundreds of the mouldy local tribe
camped around us" (6 October 1919)

From Wikitravel

Contents

Saskatchewan is one of Canada's 10 provinces, located in the Prairies. Its southern third is
predominantly prairie (with a reputation for being very flat),
while its northern two-thirds is covered in the boreal forest of
the Canadian Shield. The prairie is known for its seemingly endless
fields of wheat, while the north contains the majority of
Saskatchewan's 100,000 lakes.

Understand

Despite Saskatchewan's reputation for its prairie geography,
there is a surprising variety of landscapes, including the hills
and lakes in the north, a lake with water that is denser than the
Dead Sea, and the North and South Saskatchewan rivers.

Saskatchewan also features historical sites related to the
North-West Rebellion. In 1885, Louis Riel, leader of the Metis
(persons of mixed French Canadian, other European and Aboriginal
descent), led an uprising against the Canadian government that
culminated in the Battle of Batoche. The interpretive centre at
Batoche remains a popular tourist destination. While the battles
were not particularly large by world standards, the Rebellion was
politically significant for the Canadian west, and offers a glimpse
into what life was like on the Canadian frontier.

The fresh air and open sky are other distinctive features of the
prairie. There is little light pollution, and therefore stargazing
is wonderful.

Saskatchewan's population used to be primarily rural, but is
becoming more urban. The population has been declining for many
years, although this seems to be changing in recent years, as
oilsands, potash and uranium development are driving an economic
boom that is mirroring Alberta's boom. Farming remains the largest
sector of the economy (actually is no longer the largest sector as
the oil,gas and mining sectors expand), though it is becoming
economically unviable. There are some attempts to grow other
sectors of the economy, such as scientific research and technology.
For example, a synchrotron is being built(has been built)at the
University of Saskatchewan in Saskatoon.

Saskatchewan, unlike the rest of Canada, does not participate in
Daylight Savings Time. This means that in the winter, it is in the
same time zone as Manitoba, and in the summer it is in the same
time zone as Alberta.

Oilfield industry is very extensive in the south eastern
section of the province. Saskatchewan produces the second largest
supply of oil in Canada.

Get in

Most visitors to Saskatchewan arrive either by automobile or via
one of its two major airports, the John G. Diefenbaker
International Airport in Saskatoon and the Regina International
Airport.

The Trans-Canada Highway (Highway #1) runs across the southern
portion of the province (including Regina and Moose Jaw), connecting Saskatchewan to
Alberta and Manitoba. Similarly, the Yellowhead Highway (Highway
#16) bisects the central part of the province, running through Saskatoon and North
Battleford. There are a number of US-Canada border crossings in
the south, on the highways running between the two countries.

Get around

A common form of transportation, both within the major cities
and among various communities is the bus system (provincial bus
network stcbus.com). There is a comprehensive online guide[1] for
access to many major shopping and tourism centres in Saskatoon.

See

The Cypress Hills Interprovincial Park is in the extreme
southwest corner of the province, sharing a border with Alberta's
half of the park. Historical Fort Walsh as well as the highest
point in the province can be found in the Cypress Hills.

Hockey is taken very seriously in Saskatchewan, and matches can
be extremely intense, as well as entertaining. Prince Albert, Moose
Jaw, Saskatoon, Swift Current and Regina all host teams in the
Western Hockey League, the top level of the NHL's developmental
system.

Be sure to check out historical sites relating to the settlement
of the west and the North West Rebellion of 1885. Fort Carlton,
Batoche, and Duck Lake ae within distance of Saskatoon for a day
trip.

A very passionate pastime for Saskatchewan residents is to cheer
on their Canadian Football League team: The Saskatchewan
Roughriders. Saskatchewanians are known for their loyalty and
"Rider Pride". A Rider game is always party and spectacle as many
of the fans show up to the game wearing watermelons on their
heads!

A Wolf Adventure is a Provincially licensed, Canadian based wolf
outreach /eco lodge that fosters and promotes a healthy respect of
wildlife and surrounding habitat. A Wolf Adventure is home to some
Gray wolves of various subspecies including the elusive and rare
Arctic wolf. A Wolf Adventure strives to foster an appreciation,
not just of a highly misunderstood rarely seen wild animal, but
most importantly the natural wild lands.[2]

Saskatchewan is also the home of the RCMP Academy, Depot
Division (commonly known as "Depot"; pronounced /ˈdɛpoʊ/, not
/ˈdiːpoʊ/) that has been providing police training to Royal
Canadian Mounted Police "cadets" since its establishment in 1885.
The facility is in the west part of Regina, Saskatchewan, near the
airport, and consists of several buildings. The RCMP Heritage
Centre is located right next to the RCMP Training Academy at 5907
Dewdney Avenue. Through the use of permanent and temporary
exhibits, multimedia technologies, and extensive programming, the
Heritage Centre tells the RCMP story and educates Canadians and the
world about the past, present and future of the RCMP within Canada
and abroad.* [3]

In stark contrast to the prairies of southern Saskatchewan is
its northern half. The area north of Prince Albert is sparsely
populated and dotted with freshwater lakes. It is best accessed by
rental car however travellers should be aware that communities are
separated by great distances in the provinces north and services
are limited. Scheduled flights are also available to LaRonge from
Saskatoon through smaller airline. The trek to northern
Saskatchewan had only one purpose, to experience untouched
wilderness, canoeists and fisherman will be well rewarded by its
waterways.

Hunting & Fishing (stub)

Eat

A peculiarity among most small towns in Saskatchewan is that
they have a small Chinese Restaurant.

Drink

Drinking age in Saskatchewan is 19. Great Western Brewing
operates the old Molson brewhouse in Saskatoon. They produce beers
ranging from extra-gravity malt liquor to mid grade amber and pale
ales. There is a provincial law basically giving anyone that
operates a "brewpub" automatic off sales privileges. Because of
this, many bars have started extract-based "brewpubs" in order to
acquire their off-sales license. These beers are very poor quality
compared to beers made from true ingredients. In small towns,
locals prefer cheap beer and rye whiskey. One local favourite is
Old Style Pilsner, a no-frills brew with a most unique label. Water
quality in Saskatchewan ranges but is generally above average.

Stay safe

Saskatchewan is generally a safe place to visit and most people
are generally friendly. Some parts of the larger cities, such as
Saskatoon, Regina, and Prince Albert, have seedier areas that
should be avoided at night. Most tourists have no need to be in
those parts of town anyways.

Winters can be extremely cold, and when combined with heavy
snowfall and wind, blizzards can make driving dangerous. Many of
Saskatchewan's highways have been poorly maintained, and when
combined with icy pavement or heavy traffic, they can be dangerous
for inexperienced or inattentive drivers. Many rural roads are
unpaved, so drivers unfamiliar with gravel roads should take their
time.

Get out

The stunningly beautiful province of Alberta and its Rocky
Mountains are to the west, Manitoba, with very large, forested lakes, and
it's variety of different landscapes are to the east.

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From LoveToKnow 1911

There is more than one meaning of Saskatchewan discussed in the
1911 Encyclopedia. We are planning to let all links go to the
correct meaning directly, but for now you will have to search it
out from the list below by yourself. If you want to change the link
that led you here yourself, it would be appreciated.